Rubio's Fresh Mexican Grillsimilar businesses >

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Find this business under: Foods-Carry Out, Restaurants-Mexican, Restaurants

There might have been other restaurants in San Diego serving fish tacos before the first Rubio's -- the tiny shack-like one in Mission Bay -- opened in 1983, but no one has popularized the Baja delicacy like owner Ralph Rubio. The recipe was inspired by a San Felipe taco shop that sold fish fresh from the sea, beer-battered and wrapped in a tortilla. San Diego, already a taco-loving town, jumped at the new treat topped with shredded cabbage, lime and tangy white sauce. Rubio's has now spread across the western states, and the fish taco has become an integral part of West Coast Mexican menus. Though it's an order-from-the-counter experience, Rubio's does its best to put guests in a relaxed, beach state of mind, selling Mexican beer and shading patios with palm branch awnings. Tropical fish tanks hold kids' interest while waiting for big nacho plates or carnitas tacos and let you know that no matter how far east the restaurant spreads, it will always be rooted in the Pacific shoreline.